March, 1905. 



The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 



17 



of their society and are called by the warriors "sisters." These 

 women occupy a place in the center of the council circle. When the 

 society gives a dance in the open air the maidens continuously dance 

 in front of all the warriors, beating upon drums which they carry. 

 Now the men trot, now they halt, and with bodies bent forward dance 

 up and down, moving around, and now they hop and skip heavily 

 along. As they dance each warrior 

 utters a sort of gutteral sound like that 

 made by a buffalo on the chase. 



The emblem of the Red-Shield so- 

 ciety is the shield, which is round like 

 the sun and painted red. Long ago cer- 

 tain medicines were applied to it, and 

 the warrior swung it in a circle before 

 the enemy, so that the enemy's arrows 

 would hit neither man nor shield. All 

 shields have their origin in this society, 

 for the shield was given them by the 

 great Prophet, who also brought the 

 medicine-arrows to the tribe. Each 

 warrior of the society carries a red 

 shield, as well as a spear, hence the name 

 Red-Shield. The shields are made of 

 raw buffalo hide, which is toughened by 

 being suspended over a fire while it is 

 yet soft; then a circular portion is cut 

 from the region of the hip, in such a 

 manner as to leave the tail, with its hair, 

 intact with the circular piece. See Fig. 4. 

 The hair of the circular portion is re- 

 moved and the skin is tanned, with the tail left on. To test the 

 strength of the hide for the shields, after it is tanned, the warriors 

 shoot arrows at it. If their arrows bound back from the hide and 

 leave it uninjured the hide is fit for use in the shield ; otherwise, not. 



Whenever the warriors of this society congregate for a dance or 

 to hold a council of war they are dressed alike. See Plate VIII. Fig. 1. 

 Their head-dress consists of the skin, with horns attached, of the 

 buffalo head, taken generally from a two-year-old. That portion of 

 the skin lying between the ears and connecting the horns is taken. 

 The horns are painted red, and in full dress the bodies of the members 

 are also painted red. Each warrior carries a spear about eight feet 

 long, with stone point, originally, but with a steel point later; the 



Fig. 4. Shield of Red-Shield 

 Warrior. 



